Maintaining Work-Life Balance in a 24/7 Job

Real estate agents often feel as though they can never quite shut off from work. There are always additional listings and customers to pursue, marketing plans to develop, or information to learn about a community.

Finding and keeping work-life balance can be a challenge for real estate agents vying to close deals and in the same breath keeping their minds and bodies sharp.

Here are a few tips for maintaining work-life balance in a 24/7 job.

Establish Boundaries. In order to turn off after leaving the office, you need to figuratively turn off. That means setting rules for when you’ll check your work email, return calls, and be considered “on the clock.” While there may be exceptions every once in a while, if those exceptions become the norm, you can find yourself down a rabbit’s hole, sucked back in to work when you need time away.

Set DailyTasks. Sometimes we fall behind by letting go of the simpler, routine tasks. Instead, take charge of your paperwork and administrative duties. Keeping on top of document filing, answering voicemails and emails, lead cultivation, and calendar management can lend more sanity and structure to the day. Some people even schedule specific times each day when each of those items is tackled.

Plan In Advance. Friends and family members may not understand that work can crop up when it’s least expected. That’s why it’s a good idea to explain the need for advance planning for simple things such as dinner parties and tennis matches. Good friends and family members will understand the constraints on your time and help you schedule your leisure activities well in advance.

Schedule Time for You. Everyone needs some “me time,” and for real estate agents, it can be hard to figure out when to squeeze it in. That’s why you should schedule it. Book it as though it’s a critical work meeting and keep this time free for you and the things you love to (or have to) do. Stick to these times and every six months assess whether the amount of time and the timing is the right amount.

Be Realistic. When you schedule your time, don’t leave yourself 5 minutes to get to a listing 15 minutes away. Be sure to schedule in travel time, factoring in for distance, traffic, or that cup of coffee you need to get on the way. Try to avoid scheduling meetings back to back and be sure to give yourself some flexibility each day.

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